Logline: A bored and lonely academic smugly orders his sister a gift of live butterflies for her wedding, little realising how it would affect his evening.

Length: 1min 56sec

Director: Bethanie Montano

Producer: Bethanie Montano

About the director and producer:

Bethanie Montano recently graduated with Honours in the Bachelor of Design in Animation from the University of Technology, Sydney. She is a visual artist, animator and freelance book illustrator. She is currently undertaking her Master of Design in Advanced Animation, also at UTS.

Lepidoptera is my Honours graduation film for my Bachelor of Design in Animation (Honours) Degree at UTS.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

What you are expecting to happen from the beginning, is not what happens at the end!

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The central theme is how relationships impact not only the lives of the participants but also the world around them, and that they are an entity of themselves whose impact can't be anticipated. The Brother and the Academic's relationship is born at the wedding, and whether it lasts only that evening or longer, its resulting impact is symbolised in the moth that is produced by their union.

Lepidoptera

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?

The film is based off the poem 'Lepidoptera' by Anthony Lawrence, an Australian poet. The script is lifted directly from his poem, so it did not change, however the film itself had many revisions along the way! Overall it ended up being much more focused on the story of the two main characters than it was at the beginning, when it was about the wedding as a whole.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

So far the feedback I've received has been positive, although some people weren't too happy about the butterflies dying! (None were harmed in the making of!)

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

A lot of people have asked me what the butterflies 'mean', and I like to ask them what they think the butterflies mean; the answers to this I find very interesting, some being surprisingly in depth and usually affecting the person's overall impression of the film. It's reinforced to me how every audience member has their own interpretation of Lepidoptera. The sense that the film is creating a life of its own after I've finished it, that I don't have a role in, was surprising, but one I am enjoying.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I hope that people come to the St Kilda Film Festival and see Lepidoptera for themselves!

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

I hope that St Kilda is only the beginning of a successful festival run for Lepidoptera, so film festival directors and journalists would be fantastic people to come on board.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I would like this film to open up dialogue on the relationship between poetry and animation, and in particular about Australian poetry and animation. I think animation can be utilised as a vehicle to bring poetry to greater mainstream attention, and that poetry can inspire fantastic works of animation; both art forms can mutually benefit, and both deserve more recognition.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

What do you think the moth at the end means?

Would you like to add anything else?

I hope you enjoy Lepidoptera and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I have a piece in the 2016 Sydney VIVID Light Festival, as part of the 'X-factory' show at Central Park. It is named 'Birdland' and is part of my Masters degree. I will soon begin making another short film to finish off my Masters degree, which I'm very excited about.